By Gregory A. Kirkman Commercial Sales Manager, Pavestone Company Lee?EUR??,,????'???s Summit, Missouri

Pavers give one the ability to use changes in color, texture and pattern as warning or delineation features of a project. One of the most recognizable places where pavers serve in this capacity is their function as ADA warning devices. Using a truncated dome and/or contrasting colors, pavers are placed in areas where sidewalks and streets meet as a way of letting students, faculty, and those with visual handicaps know that they are making a transition from a pedestrian area to one where they may encounter vehicular traffic.

Baseball scouts and general managers are always on the lookout for players who possess what are commonly referred to as the five tool skills. These are the ability to run, to throw, to play defense and to hit for both average and power. It is rare to find athletes with such a unique combination of talent and dexterity.

There is a landscape product that can help ensure a long and productive lifetime for any campus design?EUR??,,????'??+the concrete paver. With its five tool skills?EUR??,,????'??+Flexibility, aesthetics, structural capacity, durability and safety?EUR??,,????'??+it is the ideal product to incorporate into your campus landscape. Concrete pavers can fill multiple roles in an economical, yet flexible manner.

 

Typically, the design for a road structure will be done by a civil or structural engineer to ensure the finished product will be able to withstand the required load requirements. An important benefit of using concrete paving systems in a structural application is that pavers have proven to be more durable and require less maintenance than traditional asphalt and concrete paving.

Flexibility

Designers are always on the lookout for ways to brighten up their campus designs and to set them apart from the rest. One of the most obvious places to accomplish this is in large open areas of a project. Where traditionally designers would simply use concrete or asphalt applications for pedestrian and vehicular areas, they are now turning to pavers. Why? Because of a tremendous flexibility with colors and textures as well as pattern capabilities this product provides. By integrating pavers into a project, a large area that could be a very bland part of the design can now spring to life and actually become the center of attention for the campus. Imagine a beautiful common area where students and faculty can gather to relax, socialize and study.

Concrete pavers can handle enormous loads and consistent traffic for everything from light cars to vehicles that impart point loads in excess of 100,000 pounds per wheel. Due to the inherent strength of a herringbone laying pattern, a designer can replace conventional asphalt or concrete with concrete pavers and serve vehicles with very high point loads.

Aesthetics

Vibrant colors and different textures as well as changing up the laying pattern, can add a unique look to common areas, crosswalks and even streets. A large open area with a large amount of concrete or asphalt can be overwhelming to the eye. By using pavers, it can be broken up into different sections or patterns, thus shrinking the scale down to a more manageable area.

Large open areas can be broken down into more visual appealing sections using soldier or sailor courses to break up large areas of paving. The use of colors, textures and patterns can make stunning visual changes in an otherwise bland area of concrete or asphalt.

Structural Capacity

The second part of the paver five tool skills is the ability to fulfill structural needs of a design that have previously only been utilized by traditional concrete and asphalt. Based on the type of laying pattern and thickness of the pavers used, concrete pavers can handle enormous loads and consistent traffic from everything from light cars to vehicles that impart point loads in excess of 100,000 pounds per wheel.

More and more campuses are using concrete pavers to accent common areas and to brighten up locations that were once fairly dull and uninteresting when constructed with concrete and or asphalt. Again, the ability to handle the structural component of the design while giving the architect ways to interject color and pattern into the project really changes the way a finished product is viewed

A great way pavers can be used in this theme is to include different patterns and colors to mark transitional areas where there is a change in elevation such as a step down or slope. This can be very helpful in ensuring that students can move about an area with a sense of comfort and safety.

Durability

By incorporating a herringbone laying pattern and a thicker paver into a design, the base detail will be considerably different from that of a pedestrian application. Typically, the design for a road structure will be done by a civil or structural engineer to ensure the finished product will be able to withstand the required load requirements. Another important benefit of using concrete paving systems in a structural application is that pavers have proven to be more durable and require less maintenance than traditional asphalt and concrete paving.

Safety

The final component of the five tool skills for pavers is the ability to use changes in color, texture and pattern as warning or delineation features of a project. One of the most recognizable places where pavers serve in this capacity is their function as ADA warning devices.

Many times, designers can use pavers as marking lines or architectural waypoints to direct students to a particular point of interest or an entrance or exit for easy access to the area. Defining these areas with pavers gives them a very unique look and feel while still accomplishing the same goal as traditional paint lines or signage. This further helps in setting the project apart from what is typically seen at other places visited.

As you can see concrete pavers are an incredibly versatile and functional tool when used in your campus landscape design. They give you unbelievable flexibility to vary from the norm while still accomplishing all the basic design criteria needed for the project. Concrete pavers are a true five tool skilled product that can really enhance your campus.

Like the baseball coach who has a five skill player on his team, landscape design professionals should take full advantage of the unique capabilities and flexibility of the concrete paver. Use them in as many ways as possible to ensure your campus landscape projects always have a unique and dramatic feel.